


Making It Work

by GH_123



Category: Hollyoaks
Genre: Baby Boy, Falling In Love, Father Figures, M/M, Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood, Single Parents, Step-parents, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-24 00:48:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20017525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GH_123/pseuds/GH_123
Summary: So this is my first post since recent events on screen. I must say that I think they have made a huge mistake killing Harry off, there is so much I could say on the matter but I would be here all day. I just feel that a lot of potential has been wasted.Anyway, I just wanted to post something which I wish we had the chance to see on screen. I feel like it maybe a load of waffle but I just wanted a little more Jarry.





	Making It Work

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first post since recent events on screen. I must say that I think they have made a huge mistake killing Harry off, there is so much I could say on the matter but I would be here all day. I just feel that a lot of potential has been wasted. 
> 
> Anyway, I just wanted to post something which I wish we had the chance to see on screen. I feel like it maybe a load of waffle but I just wanted a little more Jarry.

It had been ten days, ten whole days since they had last spoken to one another, ten whole days since they had laid eyes upon each other. If you were to ask James ten days ago whether he would be able to cope without Harry, his reply would have been a simple no, but yet here he was. He was unsure whether he was coping, but he was surviving, somehow managing to get through the days that seemed to be lasting years.

To some, the breakdown of their relationship was inevitable, things hadn’t been great between them for the past few months. The arguments had become a daily occurrence, and James had allowed the paranoia he was feeling to come to the surface, questioning every single move and decision Harry made. The trust between them had completely gone and what did they have if they didn’t have trust. They had both tried desperately to make things work, clinging on to the tiniest bit of hope, the tiniest bit of whatever was left of their relationship. 

The arrival of Isaac, Harry’s brand new baby boy, hadn’t helped matters. James knew that having him in Harry’s life, in their lives, wasn’t going to make their relationship any easier, there was apart of him that was prepared for that. What he wasn’t prepared for was how much Harry would want to be involved, how much he would instantly fall in love with his son. James thought that that would take some time to develop and subsequently give him more time to get his head around the idea, but the connection and love Harry felt was immediate. 

Without so much of warning, James had been pushed down Harry’s list of priorities. He understood this, he knew how important it was to have your child as your sole focus, he remembered briefly ending his relationship with Harry so that he could focus on Romeo. He completely got that Harry needed to focus on Isaac but the difference was that Romeo wasn’t a baby, he didn’t depend on James twenty four seven, didn’t demand his attention in the same way that Isaac demanded Harry’s.

At the time of the break up Sadie and Isaac were living with Tony and Diane, their place seemingly more suitable than James’. Harry had spent every second over there since Isaac had been born, as soon as he woke up he would head straight over there, as soon as he returned home, he would head straight to bed. It was a cycle that James became accustomed too over the past few days. 

Harry seemed so happy, so unbelievably elated, like he was on cloud nine, James hadn’t seen him this happy, in well, ever. He wasn’t naive, he knew that the beaming smiles and giddy excitement weren’t for him. They were for Issac and he would never begrudge that. 

It was three days after Isaac’s birth that their relationship ended and Harry walked out. It was ironic for James to think of now, the reason for the argument that was the final straw was simply down to the fact that he didn’t want to lose Harry.

He had arranged a meeting with a few lawyers from his firm to go over Harry’s case one last time before the hearing. He wanted to be prepared, he wanted Harry to be prepared, even though it was last minute he wanted a fresh pair of eyes, new perspectives and different opinions, he wanted Harry to be in the best position possible, only he never showed up.

When he did eventually return home, four hours later a huge argument erupted between the two of them. It was very clear that James was feeling pushed out and jealous and that Harry could no longer see anything past Isaac. They were both guilty of saying things in the heat of the moment, things that they regretted instantly, things that now they desperately wanted to put right. 

James wanted nothing more than to see him again, to talk to him again, to kiss every inch of him and hold him in his arms, he really did miss him so much but he was far too stubborn and had too much pride to make that first move.

***

Today marked the eleventh day of the break up and James was determined that today would be the day he would put everything behind him and simply move on. He had been wallowing in his own self pity for long enough, it was now time to bring James back. 

He had decided that he would head into the office, he needed some fresh air and a change of scenery, having become a bit of a home body since the split. He needed a new focus, work was always that focus, the only constant in his life, the only thing he could rely on to always be there, he needed to get back to that. Back to what he was good at, back to his best. 

Being out in the open air felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, like the gentle September breeze was blowing away all traces of Harry. He didn’t feel so trapped anymore, so wrapped up in the what could have been. For the first time he felt like he was finally getting over Harry.

It would not have been a normal day for James, unless he made his usual stop for his morning coffee. When he stepped into the Teahouse, he found the queue a little longer than normal, most of the time this place was dead and he was able to stroll right up to the counter and be served straight away. Most mornings he would have tutted and tapped his foot in annoyance at the wait, but today, he was more than happy to take his time. 

He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts when he heard a baby’s cry, loud and piercing, the shrill shriek going straight through him. As he scanned the cafe for the noise, he couldn’t quite spot the source, but saw a pram placed by someone just a few people in front of him in the queue. From what he could see the baby was no longer in the pram, obviously the parent was trying to sooth their cries in some way. He appreciated that at least, he hated watching parents just letting their child cry and scream in public places. 

As the queue began to shuffle forwards and the group of teenagers in front of him began to disperse, he suddenly saw who the cries, which were continuing to ring around his head belonged to. 

Isaac. 

There in front of him was Harry, the baby resting upon his shoulder as he shifted from one foot to the other, trying to rock his son to sleep. The cries seemed louder, Isaac’s face was bright red as he screamed and huge tears fell from his eyes. James felt his heart leap in his chest upon seeing Harry again, it was only the back of him, but seeing those broad shoulders and toned arms brought back a ton of memories. Memories he didn’t want to forget. 

The queue moved forwards again, this time, with Isaac close to his chest, Harry reached out for the pram to wheel alongside him. Somehow the strap of the baby bag had ended up tangled around one of the chair legs, as Harry pulled the pram, completely unaware of the little mishap, the chair came tumbling down, knocking the pram into a few people waiting and causing a huge clatter on the floor. This caused Isaac to cry, scream even more. James heard Harry huff and mutter something that seemed inaudible.

He was at a complete loss, suddenly fighting with his head and heart, his heart telling him to go over there and help, that the man he still well and truly loved needed someone, his head telling him to leave things how they were, knowing that if he went over there it would be near impossible to go about his day without thinking about him. He decided to listen to his heart. 

“Here, you have the strap around the leg” James told him as he bent down and untangled the mess for him.

“I can see that” Harry muttered. It was clear he wasn’t in the mood for friendly formalities, James figured Harry’s reaction would be similar to anyone that offered to help. He didn’t take it personally. 

Lifting his head, James looked up at Harry from his crouched position. He looked exhausted, his eyes red and bloodshot, dark circles forming around them from the evident lack of sleep. Marnie had filled him on how Sadie had just got up one day and left, leaving a note explaining that she couldn’t cope and leaving Harry to be a single father. James could see the effects of this written all over his face. 

“Why don’t you go and sit down and I’ll grab you a coffee” James offered as he stood up, the close proximity to Harry had made his heart feel all giddy, simply seeing him again was everything.

“I don’t need your help” Harry snapped as he held Isaac close to him, rocking him a little more vigorously. “Come on Isaac, please stop crying” he whispered gently, his tone soft and pleading.

“I never said I was helping you. I offered to buy you a coffee” James reasoned smartly with him, their eyes met for a brief moment. Harry suddenly felt alive again, albeit just for those few seconds but he felt like someone had pressed restart on his feelings. He finally felt another emotion other than pure tiredness that had consumed him for days, he felt like the tiniest bit of life had been injected back into him. 

“Fine” he huffed, of course Harry couldn’t let his feelings be known to James. “I want a...” 

“I know” James gave him a fond smile, sure they hadn’t been in contact for verging on two weeks but he hadn’t forgotten every detail about him. James was sure he saw the same small smile reciprocated by Harry as he walked away.

As James waited for the coffees to be made, he pondered over how he should play this, he knew that really, he should just hand Harry the coffee and leave, but now that he had made that step, broke the weeks of communication, he wasn’t sure he could just walk away without saying a word. 

“Managed to get him off to sleep then” James noted as he made his way over to where Harry was sitting, placing the coffee down on the table in front of him. Conveniently, the huge sofa in the middle of the Teahouse had become free, giving Harry plenty of space for the pram. 

“Only just” Harry replied as he gently rocked the pram from the comfort of the sofa, he didn’t take his eyes off Isaac, watching his every move. “Thank you” Harry’s voice sounded weak, it was almost as if he didn’t want to thank James for the coffee and his rare display of kindness. “You didn’t have to help out” Harry added. 

“Yeah, well, you looked like you needed a hand” James commented, it had actually surprised how nobody else had tried to intervene and help him out. He clearly needed it. That being said, if the person in need hadn’t been Harry, he wasn’t sure whether he’d have stepped in, crying babies were something he would rather keep his distance from. “How are you doing?” James asked, Harry seemed like he was open to have a conversation and he would never forgive himself if he left without checking in on him. 

“Tired” Harry tried to laugh but it was obvious he was absolutely exhausted. “He doesn’t sleep James, he actually does not sleep” Harry sighed as he rubbed at his eyes before reaching out for his coffee. “They say that baby’s can sense things don’t they, I think he might know Sadie’s gone” he explained. “I think he just wants his mum” James was a little taken aback by Harry’s willingness to discuss the past week or so, their first interaction just minutes ago hadn’t exactly given James much hope.

“Did she really just go?” James asked, as he sank back into the sofa. He didn’t want to pry, he wasn’t digging for any gossip, he was just concerned. 

“Yeah” Harry nodded. “I went to bed and then when I woke in the morning she had just gone, she left a note saying that she couldn’t cope and that she wasn’t cut out to be a mother” he explained through a yawn, his eyes very nearly closing as he did so. “I don’t understand how she could have just upped and left him like that” James could hear Harry’s voice breaking as he spoke, he could already sense the love that he had for Isaac and that the thought of someone just leaving him was incomprehensible. 

James honestly didn’t know what to say, he didn’t feel like he could say anything to make Harry’s situation better. He had suddenly found himself a single father, the mother of his child just vanishing without a second thought for anyone else, being a father was a big enough thing for him to get his head around in the first place, let alone going it alone. 

“Hey, shh, shh” Harry cooed gently as Isaac started to stir in his pram, he reached out for the handle and gently started to rock him.

“See” James smiled. “You’re doing a great job” he gave Harry a gentle nudge. 

“I wish I felt like that” he sighed. “I just feel like I’m completely losing it, you know” Harry absolutely adored his son, as soon as he was born he had become the centre of his universe, he was in his heart instantly. He had never felt a love like this before for anyone, his heart was so full. From the first time he held him, he knew straight away that he would do everything in his power to keep him safe and protect him. It hurt that right now he felt like such a failure, like he was letting everything get on top of him. 

“You’re not losing it Harry” James told him gently as he placed a hand on his back, Harry had missed his touch and James had missed the feel of him beneath his palm. 

“Thanks” Harry turned to look at him, their eyes meeting again for the second time today, this time Harry wasn’t completely sure what was going to happen, James wasn’t sure what was going to happen. In that moment he wanted to lean forward and capture his lips with his own, he wanted to kiss all of Harry’s doubts away. “Oh, he's crying again” Harry sighed, the cry wasn’t shrieking and piercing like before, it was just a gentle whimper. He stood up and made his way over to the pram, he bent down and scooped up Isaac, holding him close to his chest, his hand resting on his back. “I told you, this kid does not sleep” Harry sat down on the sofa, letting the fabric cushion him as he sank back. “You don’t sleep do you” Harry cooed to Isaac. “You like to keep daddy awake every second of the day.” 

“He’s cute” James commented. 

James wasn’t lying, Isaac was very cute, he had these dark brown eyes, a light dusting of dark hair and the cutest button nose and lips. Harry smiled, Isaac being cute was probably as far as James’ affections would stretch. It dawned upon Harry that this was the first time, James and Isaac had met. They had never been introduced before the break up, Harry too wrapped in his son and James focusing on the case, the time just had never been right. 

“I think he likes you” Harry looked down to see Isaac, whose head was resting upon his shoulder, staring over at James, his dark eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. “This is James” Harry spoke down to him.

“Hi” James smiled as he reached down to gently play with Isaac's fingers. “He’s so tiny” James couldn’t quite comprehend how small he was, how tiny his hands and fingers were. It baffled him that people started out life this little. 

“Mm” Harry mumbled. James took his gaze off of Isaac to see Harry laying there with his eyes gently closed, James didn’t want to think about the last time Harry had properly slept. 

“Harry” James whispered as he gently tapped his thigh.

“Oh god, sorry” Harry suddenly became a little more alert as he attempted to wake himself up.

“Why don’t you come back to my place” James suggested, he was a little hesitant about Harry’s reaction. “You could get some sleep and I could watch Isaac” he wasn’t too sure what he was suggesting, he wasn’t sure he would be able to cope with Isaac, but Harry very clearly needed sleep. Needed just some time to himself. 

“No, no, it’s okay. I can’t ask you to do that” he was still holding Isaac close to his chest. 

“You’re not. I’m offering”

“What? You can do this” Harry asked with a smirk. He had never pictured James Nightingale with a baby and yet here he was offering to take care of one for a couple of hours whilst he slept. No body in the past two weeks had offered to take Isaac off his hands just for a few hours. 

“Believe it or not, I actually had a lot of experience with babies back in the day” he told him. “I pretty much brought Ellie and Alfie up.” 

“That was eighteen years ago” Harry laughed.

“So?” James shrugged “Look, do you want to sleep or not” 

“I would love to” and for the first time since their meeting in the Teahouse that morning, Harry smiled, really smiled, to the point where it reached his eyes. 

***

“I can’t believe the time, you should have woken me up” Harry announced as he walked into the living room. He had managed a good four hours sleep, he was sure it was the most, undisturbed sleep he had had since Isaac had been born. He felt like a new person, he suddenly felt like he could do this, face any challenge thrown his way. It was amazing what sleep could do to you.

“Ssshhh” James whispered gently, he pressed his finger to his lips in a bid to hush Harry. “I’ve just got him to sleep” James smiled looking rather proud of himself as he stared down at Isaac who was fast asleep in his arms. 

Since walking out of the door just a few days ago, Harry’s feelings for James hadn’t changed, despite the things said, they hadn’t changed one bit. He still absolutely loved him with his whole heart, he still wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. He loved him. He didn’t think he could love him anymore than he did, but there was something about seeing him stood holding his son in his arms, something about the way he was looking down at him with sheer adoration in his eyes, that made Harry’s heart swell in size. 

“Oh you are good at this” Harry beamed keeping his voice quiet, as he carefully made his way over to where James was stood. As he saddled up to James’ side, he peered down at Isaac in his arms, he was well and truly sound asleep, Harry could tell by the sound of his breathing. It was a skill he had picked up over the past few weeks. “Look at him” Harry gushed as he stroked his chubby cheek with his index finger. It was moments like this, watching him so peacefully asleep that he realised how much he loved him. “He wasn’t any trouble was he?” Harry asked. 

“No, no trouble at all” James told him. “I actually quite enjoyed it” he had completely surprised himself by how much he had enjoyed taking care of him, how natural looking after Isaac seemed to come to him, how lovely it was when he suddenly snuggled into him.

Harry felt so warm inside to know that James actually enjoyed being around his child. He remembered reading some quote somewhere a while ago about how nothing was more special than watching the people you loved love your child. He wasn’t so sure James loved Isaac but he definitely cared about him, that much was evident. 

“You can put him down for a little bit if you want” Harry suggested as he wheeled over the pram. 

He watched as James gently kissed the top of his head before tentatively placing him down in the pram, making sure he was tucked in and warm. 

“I love you” Harry found the words slipping from his lips before he had had time to process them. 

“Sorry” James was left speechless by Harry’s sudden declaration.

“I still love you” Harry told him as he made his way over to where James was stood. He didn’t waste a second, he cupped the side of his face with his hand and placed his lips on to his. Thankfully James didn’t pull away, instead he snaked his arms around Harrys waist and pulled him in closer, their lips moving in perfect sync. 

“I love you too” James breathed, their foreheads now resting against on another. “I want to do this with you. I think we can make it work” he had been thinking about it all afternoon, he wanted Harry back, just having him back in his home, knowing that he was safe meant everything to him. He felt complete again. 

“You want me and Isaac” he had to clarify, had to explicitly say out loud what he thought James was saying. Becoming a single father was never part of Harry’s plan, he figured since taking on the responsibility that he would have to get used to a life with just him and Isaac in it. He never thought for a second that anyone would want him and his child, let alone James Nightingale. 

James simply nodded his head and allowed a smile to pull at the corners of his mouth. 

“You’re willing to take on all of this” Harry asked. 

“I’m willing to try” and with that their lips met again, somehow finding away back to one another.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Please leave kudos and comments. 
> 
> I plan to continue writing more Jarry bits and bobs as when the ideas strike me. Please feel free to request any of your ideas as I am still accepting prompt requests.


End file.
